Daxton - Episode 2
The 5th Compass | Tales of Stonehaven [1,770 words]
Daxton is the first book in the 6-book series, The 5th Compass, which takes place in Stonehaven. Released in serial form, two episodes each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The audio version is coming in the future for paid subscribers only. Visit the table of contents for a list of previously published and upcoming episodes.
Previous Episode « Table of Contents » Next Episode
PREVIOUSLY…
Captain Silverblade is under a surprise attack by one of her many enemies. During the heated battle she has a dreaded feeling that she might be pregnant and that could spell disaster for her.
Once the flag had reached its apex the other ships in Silverblade’s fleet, who up until this point were a safe distance away, knew what it meant and raised their own flags before pulling up anchors and setting a course for the Shadow’s location. Silverblade did not call upon the other ships in her fleet often, instead letting them roam freely around the channel they occupied.
This stretch of water called Parallel Passage, as of late was known to many as Shadow Passage when Silverblade decided to take it over. This passage was used daily by Rowan to ferry his ships back and forth between his kingdom and that of Pradore. It was an exchange of goods and services that wouldn’t be cause for alarm if not for the fact that Rowan and Pradore were underpaying for the goods produced by their people too then trade with each other and share with no one. And what little they did decide to share with their own, they charged far more than what it was worth.
Silverblade decided to put an end to their lucrative enterprise by charging her own fee for the use of the passage she now occupied. For safe passage every ship was required to relinquish at least half of whatever they carried on board. The king of Pradore was not bothered by this new deal and paid it without argument, which Silverblade always found rather curious, but as Rowan was her true target, she ignored his kindness. Rowan, on the other hand, refused to bend to her demands and sent war ships ahead of his stock ships to defend them and distract her long enough to get them through. His efforts rarely worked but for all the goods he risked losing he never relented.
This ship had already come much too close for Silverblade’s liking and because they dared to try and ambush her, she wanted to make them pay.
“Captain, why have you called the others? I think we have the matter well at hand. We don’t need the others,” Wendynn argued. In her anger she did not notice he had climbed the stairs and now stood before her.
“It is not you I do not trust. This day has long awaited us. We’ve been complacent in our charge of these waters and the enemy has caught us at rest. For many moons we have seen no Rowan ships, just those cowardly Pradore ships. I should’ve foreseen an attack. I need the others. Tell them…tell them to take the ship.”
Wendynn’s eyes widened at her command. It had been a long time since she had last given such an order. It meant that before the sun would reach its peak in the sky this morning the blood of the enemy would surround her ship. She did this as a warning to others. Instead of sinking their ship, as was her custom to do, she decided to keep it.
“Did you not hear me?”
“Yes, captain.” Wendynn ran down the steps and towards the front of the ship as the first ship in her fleet came into view. Wendynn unbuttoned the first button of his dress shirt and pulled out a mirror he kept hanging from a gold chain around his neck. He held it up till it caught the morning sunlight and used it to flash a coded message to the approaching ships. When he was sure the message was received, he waited a few seconds for a similar set of flashing lights to be returned. Soon all her ships had received the same message and were setting a course to intercept Rowan’s ship.
They did this methodically, to make sure the ship remained intact. First, they would surround a ship on all sides. This meant at least one or two of Silverblade’s ships would have to absorb the brunt of the cannon fire so that the others could get closer.
As men on the king’s ship saw they were surrounded and all hope of defeating Silverblade disappeared they threw themselves overboard and tried to swim towards land. They thought swimming presented a greater chance of survival rather than remain on the ship to face certain death. Little did they know in these waters, beholden to no one, were flesh eating sharks.
They did not start out this way. In fact, these sharks became seekers of flesh, even hungered for it, because of Captain Silverblade and the many men whose lives were taken along this very body of water. Food had never been plentiful for the sharks. Then blood-soaked bodies rained down upon them. They’ve been loyal to her cause, in their own flesh-eating ways, ever since. This morning was no exception. As able-bodied men hit the water sharks circled just below. From every direction, sharks broke the surface of the water with lightning speeds and grabbed them by their kicking legs. The screams of men became nothing more than muffled gurgles as they were dragged deep into the water to be ripped apart.
The captain on the king’s ship looked overboard in disgust as he watched the blood and spare body parts of his men rise to the surface, staining the water. He slammed his hands into the railing and gripped it tightly in anger. He looked across his ship to the Shadow and locked eyes with the reason for his being there in the first place. He fixed her with a cold stare. And the eyes of Captain Silverblade stared right back. She pursed her lips at him in a mock kiss. This gesture was something she made to the captains she came up against. To her it meant soon they would meet their end but to them it was the biggest insult.
He unsheathed his sword and pointed it directly at her. She knew his plan even before he gave the order to what little men he had left. They grabbed onto ropes hanging off their ships mast and swung over onto her ship, forever abandoning their own.
Captain Silverblade called for Wendynn to take the wheel. He wanted to be the one to fight, his sword halfway out before she gave her order, but he shoved it back and did as she commanded. She unsheathed her sword and held it out before her as she walked slowly down onto the deck. By now it was teeming with men from both sides deep in sword fights. Her men were the best swordsmen in the six seas, even more skilled than the king’s men. Captain Silverblade marveled at their agility as they easily bested the enemy, piercing them to the quick and sending their dead bodies overboard; more food for the sharks.
As she slowly made her way past the carnage, her eyes found the captain’s again. He side-stepped the fighting happening around him, shoving some of his own men out of the way and into the waiting sword of a pirate.
“So, you’re what all this is for? You don’t look like what I expected.”
“Says the man who is about to die by my hand,” she retorted and swung her sword first. He returned thrusting his sword at hers, but she expected it and side-stepped before it sliced into her arm.
The sound of their swords clanging as they attempted to best each other caught the attention of the men who were left alive; all of them hers. Captain Hinde managed to look at his surroundings when he could risk it and realized he was alone, but he showed no fear.
“I am afraid you have no other means of escape, captain,” she responded, spinning low to the ground and kicking her foot out to drop him onto his back. He fell hard and his sword knocked loose when it met the ground. It slid across the wet floor of the ship, stopping short against her boot. She stepped over it to tower over him. The edge of her blade danced rather closely to his throat. “Any last words?”
He smiled at her, a grin unlike any she had ever seen from a man who knew he was about to die by her hand. “You think you’ve won? You think because you’re standing over me that you’ve won? This is not over. Even now, the king plots to put an end to you and all your so-called good deeds.” The words spewed forth from him like venom and she found herself, for the first time, caught off guard by his assertiveness. Her momentary lapse gave him just what he needed to escape from under her blade and rise to his feet. Her men all stood ready to attack, their hands on the hilt of their swords, but she regained focus and held her hand up to stop them.
“There is desperation in your voice. And I’m too smart to believe the word of a man who will say anything to survive.”
“Then believe this pirate, before the end of the next moon cycle the Paragon will come. And when it does, you’ll wish you had never been born,” he said. As his words sank in, he turned his back to her and ran towards the other end of the ship. Without stopping he leapt up onto the railing.
Forgetting where she was for a moment, she let a hint of fear break her voice as she shouted, “Wait.”
“Are you scared, female pirate? You should be.” Before he could be stopped, he dove into the water. She ran to where he vanished and looked overboard, watching as he tried to swim past the floating bodies of his men and the sharks still feeding on them. But his splashing soon caught the attention of a nearby shark and it left its current meal to get what it knew would be a meatier one. Captain Hinde did not make it very far before being devoured. Once the sound of his screams subsided all Captain Silverblade could hear was her own quick breathing and her heart beating loudly in her ears.
Wendynn stood behind her and cleared his throat, unsure of what to do as he’d never seen her like this before. “Captain? Shall I tell the men to bring what they find to the Shadow?”
“What? Of course! Do you need me to constantly tell you what needs be done? Damn it Wendynn, can you not think for yourself for once?” She shoved past him and stomped towards her cabin. She stopped at the landing and turned back, “Oh, and Wendynn, have Spire come to my cabin immediately.” Before he could protest, she was gone.